City Hotel Suite

Suite Description

The City Hotel suite overlooks Chambersburg Street and is located on the third floor. The nice airy room has a sitting area with love seat, reading chair and television. Each evening during our turn down service our Signature Breakfast Basket is served to your kitchenette, so you can enjoy it with your morning coffee or tea in the comfort of your own suite. The private bath offers a shower unit only. The bedroom is bright and warm with ivy and deep green decor. The queen bed with coverlet and down blanket is warm and inviting.

Suite History

As you enter the building today from the street, you may notice the large entrance stone on the threshold clearly inscribed "City Hotel". In the April 10th 1888 edition of the (newspaper) Compiler is found:

"Improvements - Apparently the need of more rooms to conduct the businesses at his hotel, Landlord Eberhart of the Keystone has contracted with Mr. Joseph J. Smith to raise the main building to four stories and the back portion to three. This will make a handsome increase of rooms and give the house a capacity of about 200 guests. Work started yesterday the 9th and under Mr. Smith's well known push the job, it will be completed for occupancy June 1st. Mr. Eberhart is entitled too much credit for this handsome improvement." As an aside Mr. Smith, one of the areas oldest contractors and builders, never put any of his building plans on paper - he retained them in his memory.

A week later, the April 17 compiler reported that the "back building of the Keystone Hotel had been raised and roofed and Smith expected to add the two stories and the roof on the front part by the end of this week." The April 24th Compiler reported, "Builder Smith put a force of masons on the Keystone Hotel front building Tuesday morning and by Friday evening the two additional stories were up. The tinner - AJ Smith put the room on Saturday the 21st." May 1 the Compiler reported, "he will also make changes on the first floor of the Keystone Hotel, removing the office to the east side, and the bar in the rear of it and connecting the bar room into a parlor with the rear part added to the dining room. The improvements are progressing as well as to ensure their early completion." Three weeks later, The enlargement of the Keystone Hotel is nearing completion and it will be fully ready for guests by the time the rush begins. Mr. Eberhart has decided to change the name of his house to "City Hotel".

In 1903 this ad was found in the town directory. "When you go to Gettysburg stop at the City Hotel, one square from all depots. A few steps from the public square, situated on Chambersburg Street. Accommodations for 350 people. All well ventilated rooms, single, double or en suite. Heated by steam and lighted by electricity. Parlors on first and second floors. Hot and cold baths. Toilet rooms on first and second floors. Rates - $1.50 to $2.00 per day. Also livery connected to hotel. Battlefield a specialty, all battlefield guides born in Gettysburg some served in the army three years. We can give you any kind of wagon you want. Arrangements can be made by letter or telegram at my expense. Dinner, with driver over battlefield with four or more, $1.35 each. Free bus ride to and from all trains."